The required duties of the Kingdom of An Tir Arts & Sciences Champion are relatively few in number; however the expectations the populace at large have for the office provide a myriad of opportunities to further the Arts & Sciences in the Kingdom in a way that no other individual can. Each of those who previously carried the mantle used their unique talents, skills, and styles to their year of Championship. During my time, I tried to be as available to the artisans of the Kingdom as possible; often I found I was able to make the greatest contribution by demystifying the A&S process within An Tir. (Although I agree it is something of a misnomer to think of the Arts & Sciences as representing a single process in a Kingdom as large and diverse as this one.)
The numerous requests I received to travel to various A&S competitions proved also to be an invitation also to share the skill and enthusiasm of artisans across much of An Tir. Everywhere I traveled, I encountered folks who were exploring things which were new to me, or who were exploring some of the same things I have in ways, which I had not considered before meeting them. I was fortunate in that I was often able to help people take a good project and make it better. And at the same time, I was able to provide an additional bit of recognition for outstanding accomplishment by the artisans of An Tir.
The Champion's Bezants, which Mark made up, provided one important way to recognize excellence. These have become a coveted mark of distinction among the artisans of An Tir, and in recognition of their importance I found that I only gave out six. Additionally, I gave out personal tokens to those who distinguished themselves by their talent and passion for the arts.
If I were to sum up the "job" of the A&S Champion, what would I say? The Arts and Sciences Champion finds themselves an extension of the Royal Presence where ever they go. They will find that by means of their knowledge, and particularly by their enthusiasm for the Arts and Sciences, they can both help and even sometimes inspire the artisans of the Kingdom of An Tir to continue to strive for excellence. All too often the most interaction seem to have with the artisans at the Kingdom level occurs when they are faced with judges at some competition. The A&S Champion has the opportunity to serve not as a judge but as a mentor. And this is both the highest honor, as well as the greatest challenge which I myself facing.
Whom-so-ever holds the mantle of the Champion of Arts and Sciences, will find themselves challenged with a position that remains vague and ill defined. There is little concrete in terms of guidelines as to how to best serve in that position. However, this same nebulousness allows the Champion to strive to make a difference in ways, which best suit, their individual talents, enthusiasm, and abilities. It was an honor to serve.
Documentation for Rauthulfr's entries.
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